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Category Archives: Tracing the ancient route

Bronze Age Burial at Bunnamayne, County Donegal Author(s): J. C. T. MacDonagh and P. J. Hartnett Source: The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 81, No. 1 (1951), pp.48-5 While tractor ploughing (Feb. 1950) for his uncle in a field on the crest of Bunnamayne hill, County Donegal, one of Mr. …

Nearly straight upwards from the third stone in the row lie scattered four more suspicious stone which may amount to four more possible standing stones. Will measure them next time when winds are less lethal. Sometimes standing alone proofed to be a challenge without holding on to paper, pencil and measurement tape. Being bold would …

In the channel between two small rock outcrops on the western slope of Greenan Hill remains a row of three standing stones. The alignment of these stones runs east-westwards, their broad face northwest – south-eastwards. The first and largest stone measured 4 feet 7 inches wide, 3 feet 3 inches high and 5 – 5½ …

Taking leave from my venerable word and history distorting monk during Ailech I, for reasons of sanity, I paced up Greenan Hill along the ancient road on March 16, and was fortunate to finally meet the owner of the old farm and all the fields on the northern slope up to the monument. He not …

Seoirse O Dochartaigh came by the other day and his new book with the so much needed placenames is now in the safe hands of his printer. Not only should I have asked him for the title, taking notes would have been indeed a good idea. – Because he found the crossing and a couple …

Wondering about the summit one September evening last year, I remembered that some years ago I had noticed a suspicious looking stone lying on a field wall. After some searching I found the stone. Its length/height is approximately 1 -1.20 meters. On my return the next day and the added bonus of blue sky and …

The winds are still unwarranted icy, particularly on the hill. This rock lies approximately twenty metres apart from the first, close to a small field full of boulders, above the shadow of a circular structure in the ground and the most astonishing stones used in nearby field walls. The lines and dots become more visible but …

It is nearly a year now, since I found this rock. And I still don’t know, what its markings mean or when they were made. There are neither ogham nor runic, more a little bit of both. As if this place had its own unique language. “The first letter” has no equivalent anywhere so far. …

Leaving The Three Flowers and an estate behind I turned north-westwards , following the road. In a field to the south-west lay large stones and at closer inspection appeared to be the entrance to a souterrain, which was confirmed by the woman of the house nearby shortly afterwards. She also told me about bodies being …

I attempted today to walk from The Three Flowers restaurant, which is located on the Derry/Buncrana road and just below Aileach Mor Hill across this road (400 centuries ago still a bog) towards Grianán, to see if I could find traces of the ancient road connecting the seat of royal power with the spirit at …